Methods and systems for sealing a wall

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus and methods for insulating a structure. A method for insulating a structure may include providing a frame that comprises a plurality of frame members coupled together. Sheathing panels may be coupled to the frame members such that adjacent sheathing panels abut and directly contact each other at an interface to form a wall having a front surface and a rear surface. A spray insulation material may be applied to the front surface of the wall such that the insulation material forms a substantially continuous insulation layer atop the front surface and such that the insulation material directly contacts the interface between adjacent sheathing panels to restrict passage of air between the adjacent panels to at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressure across the wall of 75 Pa.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As building construction evolves, buildings are required to provideincreased levels of insulation. Such increases in insulation help todecrease the energy requirements of the building while providingsufficient comfort to the building's occupants. To increase the thermalefficiency of a building, insulation is often applied to the outerand/or inner surfaces of the building. To further increase the thermalefficiency, air barriers are often applied, which minimize the exchangeof air between the building's interior and the surrounding environment.

Traditionally, providing a building with both an air barrier andinsulation requires a two step process. To provide the air barrier, anexterior wall surface is prepped to remove all dust and debris, then aprimer is applied to seams in the exterior wall surface, and finally atape material (e.g., flashing tape) is applied over the seams to sealany cracks, seams, or other openings. The surface prep and primer aretypically necessary to ensure that the flashing tape sticks to theexterior wall surface. Often, the primer must completely dry before thetape material is applied and/or one or more coats of primer may benecessary to ensure that the tape adequately adheres to the exteriorwall surface. This process is time consuming and expensive.

Subsequently, insulation may be applied over the taped exterior wallsurface to provide an insulation layer. Such two step process adds costand labor to building construction. Further, applying tape to the wallsurface may provide a potential failure point at which cracks or seamsmay develop and thereby permit and/or increase air leakage. Whenmultiple steps or redundancies are used to improve the process, moreproducts are used that can lead to increased failure modes. As such,there is a need for improved methods of providing a building with bothinsulation and an air barrier assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide a continuous insulation layer for abuilding or structure, where the continuous insulation layer alsofunctions as an air barrier assembly to reduce or eliminate air leakagethrough an exterior wall. The continuous insulation layer may be appliedto a building or structure in a single step by applying an insulatingmaterial, such as a spray foam insulation, directly to an exterior wallof the building or structure. In other embodiments, the insulatingmaterial may be applied in a single step to ceiling, roofs, attics, andthe like. The single step process described herein refers to the factthat other pre-spraying processes are not required, such as adding oneor more coats of primer and/or flashing tape. In other words, theinsulating material (e.g., spray foam insulation) may be applieddirectly to the exterior wall, seams between sheathing panels, seamsbetween the sheathing panels and other features (e.g., vents, windows,roofing, pipes, etc.), structural edges, and the like. The continuousinsulation layer may provide sufficient air barrier properties asdefined by industry standard ASTM 2357 and also provide sufficientinsulation properties.

According to one embodiment, a method for insulating a structure mayinclude providing a frame that comprises a plurality of frame memberscoupled together and coupling sheathing panels to the frame members sothat adjacent sheathing panels abut and directly contact each other atan interface. The coupled sheathing panels may form a wall having afront surface and a rear surface. The method may also include applying aspray insulation material (e.g., spray foam insulation) to the frontsurface of the wall so that the insulation material forms asubstantially continuous insulation layer atop the front surface and sothat the insulation material directly contacts the interface betweenadjacent sheathing panels. The continuous insulation layer and/orinsulation material may restrict passage of air between the adjacentpanels to at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressure across thewall of 75 Pa. Likewise, the continuous insulation layer may provide anR value of at least 10. The insulation R value of 10 may correspond toan insulation layer thickness of about 2 inches.

The spray insulation material may restrict passage of air through theinterface. One or more of the sheathing panels may abut a feature of thestructure at an additional interface. The one or more features mayinclude a pipe, a structural edge, a window, an aperture, a vent, a roofor roofing component, and the like. The spray insulation material may beapplied atop the additional interface so that the spray insulationmaterial directly contacts the additional interface to restrict passageof air therethrough. The spray insulation material may penetrate intothe interface and/or additional interface. In some embodiments, thespray insulation may penetrate through the interface from the frontsurface to the rear surface. The insulation layer may seal the interfaceand/or additional interface to restrict passage of air therethrough.

In some embodiments, the insulation layer has a layer thickness of atleast 2 inches. In other embodiments, the layer thickness may be in therange of about 1 inch to about 12 inches, and more commonly betweenabout 2 inches and about 3 inches. In some embodiments, the method mayfurther include preparing the front surface prior to applying the sprayinsulation material to remove debris, oil, machine oil, grease, mortar,oxidation, mill scale, dust, and the like. The spray insulation materialmay have adhesion promoters that enhance the ability to adhere tomultiple substrates and/or to seal gaps or voids in interfaces and seamsof adjacent sheathing panels and/or features (e.g., pipes, vents, andthe like) penetrating through an exterior wall. Such enhanced adhesionis demonstrated by the tests described herein at different temperaturesand pressure loadings.

The sheathing panels may include a fiberglass mat gypsum panel, anoriented strand board, and the like. The insulation layer may be capableof providing the R value of 10 and the air leakage rate of less than 0.2L/m2/s at a differential pressure across the wall of 75 Pa afterexposure to repeated cycles of hot and cold temperature. In other words,the insulation layer may be durable so that after a prolonged amount oftime and/or usage the insulation and air barrier properties are notdegraded below an industry standard. The spray insulation material mayinclude a zero ozone depletion potential blowing agent.

According to another embodiment, a method for providing an insulatingair barrier assembly to an exterior surface of a structure may includeproviding a plurality of sheathing panels and coupling the sheathingpanels with a frame so that adjacent sheathing panels abut at a seam.The coupled sheathing panels may form a wall of the structure having anexterior surface and an interior surface. The method may also includeapplying a spray insulation material to the exterior surface of thewall. The insulation material may form an insulation layer atop theexterior surface and may directly contact at least one seam to restrictair flow between adjacent sheathing panels. The applied insulationmaterial, may provide a thermal resistance R value of at least 10.

According to another embodiment, a structure having an insulatedexterior surface may include a frame comprising a plurality of framemembers coupled together and a plurality of sheathing panels coupled tothe frame members so that adjacent sheathing panels abut and directlycontact each other at an interface. The coupled sheathing panels mayform a wall having a front surface and a rear surface. The structure mayalso include a substantially continuous insulation layer atop the frontsurface. The insulation layer may comprise a spray insulation materialand may directly contact at least one interface between adjacentsheathing panels to restrict passage of air between the adjacentsheathing panels to at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressure of75 Pa across the wall. The insulation layer may also provide aninsulating R value of at least 10.

The structure may further include an exterior material positioned atopthe insulation layer, which may include: brick, siding, stucco, wood, anexterior insulation and finish system (EIFS), exterior cladding, and thelike. In some embodiments, the insulation layer may have a layerthickness of at least 2 inches. In other embodiments, the layerthickness may range between 1 inch and 12 inches, and more commonlybetween 2 inches and 3 inches. The interface may include a gap or voidof up to about ½-⅝ inch, and more commonly about ⅜ inch, and the sprayinsulation material may seal the gap or void to restrict passage of airtherethrough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the appendedfigures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exterior surface of a building having insulationsprayed or applied directly onto the exterior surface according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of an exterior surface of a buildinghaving insulation sprayed or applied directly onto the exterior surfaceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates the surface of FIG. 1 viewed from the building'sinterior according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A & 4B illustrate a portion of a building's exterior havinginsulation sprayed or applied directly to the exterior surface accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a method for insulating astructure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a method for providing aninsulating air barrier to an exterior surface according to an embodimentof the present invention.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame reference label. Where the reference label is used in thespecification, the description is applicable to any one of the similarcomponents having the same reference label.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide novel methods and system forproviding insulation and an air barrier assembly to exterior surfaces ofa building in a single step. The single step process described hereinrefers to the fact that one or more pre-spraying processes are notrequired, such as adding one or more coats of primer and/or flashingtape. In other words, the insulating material (e.g., spray foaminsulation) may be applied directly to the exterior wall withoutrequiring the application of a primer and/or tape material. The singlestep application of an insulating material that also provides an airbarrier decreases the time and cost associated with insulatingbuildings. For example, less materials are required to insulate abuilding since primer and/or flashing tape is not needed. Further, thetime and cost associated with installing the flashing tape and primer iseliminated. In some embodiments all that is required prior to applyingthe insulating material is minimal surface preparation to remove dust,debris, oil, metal or wood shavings, and the like.

The insulating material may be applied directly to the exterior surfaceof a building, such as exterior sheathing panels, and may be applieddirectly to seams or interfaces between adjacent sheathing panels. Insome embodiments, the sheathing panels of the building include afiberglass mat gypsum panel, oriented strand board, and the like. Theinsulating material may also be applied directly to seams or interfacesadjacent objects or features that protrude through the sheathing panelsand/or are adjacent to the sheathing panels. Such objects or featuresmay include: piping, windows, apertures, vents, roofs, edges, and thelike. In some embodiments, the insulating material is a foam insulatingmaterial, which is applied by spraying the insulating material directlyonto the exterior surface. The insulating material may provide acontinuous insulating layer surrounding a portion, or the entire,exterior surface of the building.

The insulating material may penetrate into the seams and/or interfacesbetween adjacent sheathing panels and/or other features and seal theseams and/or interfaces to provide an air tight barrier. In someembodiments, the insulating material may penetrate through thebuilding's wall from an exterior surface to an interior surface. Theinsulating material may seal the seams and/or interfaces to provide anair leakage rate at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressureacross the wall of 75 Pa. The insulating material may also provide an Rvalue of at least 10. The insulating layer may provide an R value of 10and/or the above defined air leakage rate after repeated exposure tocycles of hot and cold temperatures and/or varying air pressures. Inother words, an insulated wall may be exposed to varying and cyclicalair pressure differentials across the wall and/or may be exposed tovarying and cyclical temperatures without the insulating and air barrierproperties of the insulation layer degrading below an industry standard.Such cyclical temperatures and/or air pressure differentials arecommonly applied in laboratory facilities that test exterior wallinsulation layers. As described herein, a wall insulated according tothe methods described herein was subjected to such testing anddetermined to meet or exceed such industry standards. The insulatingmaterial provides sufficient air barrier properties as defined byindustry standard ASTM 2357 and provide sufficient insulationproperties.

In some embodiments, the insulating layer atop the building's exteriorsurface may have a layer thickness of 2 inches or more. The sprayinsulation material may have adhesion promoters that enhance the abilityto adhere to multiple substrates and/or seal gaps or voids in interfacesand seams of adjacent sheathing panels and/or features penetratingthrough the exterior surface. The spray insulation material may includea zero ozone depletion potential blowing agent. Exterior materials, suchas brick, siding, stucco, wood, exterior insulation and finish system(EIFS), exterior cladding, and the like may be applied atop theinsulating layer. In some embodiments, the gaps or voids that theinsulating material may penetrate and seal may be up to about ½ inch ormore and more commonly about ⅜ inch. Having briefly describedembodiments of the invention, additional aspects of the invention willbe realized with reference to the figures.

Insulated Air Barrier Assemblies

FIG. 1 illustrates an exterior surface or wall 102 of a building 100having insulation 130 sprayed or applied directly onto the exteriorsurface or wall 102. Exterior surface or wall 102 includes a frame 105that includes a plurality of vertical studs or posts 106 and a pluralityof top plates or beams 108. The frame defines an interior and exteriorof the building 100. In some embodiments, studs 106 and/or beams 108comprise wood boards, metal posts, or a combination thereof of varioussize (e.g., 2×4 and the like). Applied to studs 106 and/or beams 108 onthe exterior side of building 100 is a plurality of sheathing panels104, which may include a fiberglass mat gypsum panel (e.g., DensGlassFlashing®), oriented strand board, and the like. Sheathing panels 104are applied so that adjacent panels abut one another and form anexterior wall of building 100. Adjacent sheathing panels 104 abut atseams or interfaces 140. Sheathing panels 104 may be applied or coupledwith frame 105 via nails, screws, adhesives, or a combination thereof.FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of sheathing panels 104 cut away to revealframe 105 underneath. Seams or interfaces 140 may include gaps or voids(not shown) between adjacent sheathing panels and/or other objects. Thegaps or voids may be up to about ⅝ inch, and more commonly about ⅜ inch.

Sheathing panels 104 may be applied around the entire perimeter ofbuilding 100 or a portion thereof. Insulation material 130 is applieddirectly atop sheathing panels 104 and seams or interfaces 140 to form acontinuous insulation layer atop exterior surface or wall 102. As shownin FIG. 1, insulation material 130 may be applied via worker 122spraying insulation material 130 directly onto sheathing panels 104and/or seams or interfaces 140. Insulation material 130 is sprayed viaspray insulation machine 120. As described herein, a continuousinsulation layer, or continuous insulation, may refer to an insulatinglayer that runs or extends continuously over structural members (i.e.,without substantial seams or gaps). Such a layer may help prevent oreliminate thermal bridging and improve the thermal efficiency of astructure.

In some embodiments, spray insulation material 130 comprises a 2component closed cell polyurethane foam, such as a closed cell mediumdensity (e.g., 2 pcf) spray foam insulation. Spray insulation material130 may have an R value minimum of R 6 per inch, a smoke development notgreater than 450, and flame spread not greater than 25 when tested inaccordance with ASTM E 84. Further, spray insulation material 130 mayinclude a zero ozone depletion potential blowing agent. In someembodiments, spray insulation material 130 may be generated at a jobsite by combining an isocyanate and a polymeric resin through a dualcomponent proportioner. Spray insulation material 130 may be sprayedonto a surface via a dual component, volumetric, positive displacementpump, which combines the isocyanate and polymeric resin in a one to onevolumetric ratio, although other volumetric ratios are possible. Theblowing agent may be designed to remain trapped within the sprayedinsulation material 130 subsequent the spray application to reduceenergy consumption and/or CO₂ emissions. An example of a suitableblowing agent is 1,1,1,3,3-Pentafluoropropane (also known as HFC-245faor R-245fa) manufactured by Honeywell® and sold under the name Enovate®.An example of a suitable spray insulation material 130 is Corbond IIIspray insulation foam marketed by Johns Manville.

Spray insulation material 130 seals seams and/or interfaces 140 toprovide an air leakage rate at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at a differentialpressure across the wall of 75 Pa—the air leakage rate defined by ASTM2357. Spray insulation material 130 also provides an R value of at least10 at an insulation layer thickness of approximately 2 inches. In otherembodiments, spray insulation material 130 provides an R value of atleast 12 at a layer thickness of approximately 2 inches.

Spray insulation material 130 is applied directly to seams or interfaces140 without requiring the application of flashing tape and/or primer toseams or interfaces 140. Potential failure points are eliminated sinceflashing tape and/or primer is eliminated. For example, failure pointsmay develop due to the use of primer and/or flashing tapes as the tapedeteriorates and/or begins to peel away from the exterior wall surface.This potential problem is increased in areas that are difficult to tape,such as corners, edges, circular features, and the like, or in areasthat are exposed to environmental elements. Further, the incorrectapplication of primer and/or flashing tape can result in increased airleakage and decreased thermal efficiency of a building or structure.

Spray insulation material 130 may be applied (i.e., sprayed) around aportion of the exterior surface of building 100, or applied around theentire perimeter, to provide a continuous insulation layer around thesprayed portion of building 100. The spray insulation material may haveadhesion promoters that enhance the ability to adhere to multiplesubstrates and/or seal gaps or voids in interfaces and seams of adjacentsheathing panels and/or features penetrating through the exteriorsurface. Additional exterior materials (not shown), such as brick,siding, stucco, wood, exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS),exterior cladding, and the like may be applied over the continuousinsulation layer of spray insulation material 130.

FIG. 2 illustrates the spray foam insulation material 130 applieddirectly atop adjacent sheathing panels 104 and applied directly to seamor interface 140. As shown in FIG. 2, spray foam insulation material 130penetrates into and/or through seam or interface 140 between adjacentsheathing panels 104. Spray foam insulation material 130 may extendbeyond an interior surface 103 of sheathing panels 104. Spray foaminsulation material 130 seals seam or interface 140 to prevent oreliminate air passage therethrough. As such, spray insulation material130, and the continuous insulation layer, provides an air barrier forbuilding 100 in addition to insulating building 100. The insulationlayer of spray insulation material 130 has a thickness T, which in someembodiments is between about 1 inch and about 12 inches, and morecommonly between about 2-3 inches. A gap or width W of seam or interface140 may be about ⅝ inch, and more commonly about ⅜ inch. Spray foaminsulation material 130 penetrates and seals such gaps to prevent oreliminate air passage therethrough.

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the wall 102 from an interior space ofbuilding 100. Studs 106 and beams 108 of frame 105 are visible. Aplurality of sheathing panels 104 are coupled to studs 106 and/or beams108. Adjacent sheathing panels 104 abut at seams or interface 140. Aspray foam insulation material 130 is applied to the exterior surface ofwall 102. Spray foam insulation material 130 penetrates through theseams or interfaces 140 so that the spray foam material is visible on aninterior surface, or from an interior side, of wall 102. Spray foaminsulation material 130 may substantially penetrate through all or mostof seams or interfaces 140 and effectively seal all or most seams orinterfaces 140.

Spray insulation material 130 may also be applied directly to anadditional seam or interface 132 adjacent an additional feature 150 thatpenetrates or extends through wall 102. Such additional features mayinclude a pipe, a window, an aperture, a vent, an edge, a roof orroofing feature, and the like. Spray insulation material 130 maypenetrate through additional seam or interface 132 to seal additionalseam or interface 132 and provide an air barrier, or in other words,reduce or eliminate passage of air through additional seam or interface132.

FIGS. 4A & 4B illustrate a perspective view of building 400 having acontinuous insulation layer 406 atop an exterior surface 402. Continuousinsulation layer 406 functions to both insulate building 400 and providean air barrier to prevent passage of air through exterior surface 402.Continuous insulation layer 406 comprises a spray foam insulationmaterial, such as those described herein, which is applied directly toexterior surface 402 and one or more seams or interfaces (not shown).Spray foam insulation material penetrates into and/or through the seamsor interface to effectively seal the seams or interfaces. Spray foaminsulation material is also applied directly to features of structurespenetrating through exterior surface 402, such as pipe or vent 408, andto other features having a seam or interface with exterior surface 402,such as edge 414, seams or interfaces adjacent window 410, at aninterface of exterior surface 402 and a roof (not shown), and the like.FIG. 4B illustrates an expanded view of a feature 408, such as a pipe orvent, penetrating through exterior surface 402. The spray foaminsulation is directly applied to an interface between feature 408 andexterior surface 402. Spray foam insulation material effectively sealsthe seams, gaps, or voids associated with or adjacent such features toprovide a continuous air barrier. The seams, gaps, or voids may be up toabout ⅝ inch wide, and more commonly about ⅜ inch wide.

In some embodiments, continuous insulation layer 406 provides an R valueof at least 10. In other embodiments, continuous insulation layer 406provides an R value of between about 10 and about 30. In someembodiments, continuous insulation layer 406 may have a layer thicknessof between 1 and 5 inches. In other embodiments, continuous insulationlayer 406 has a layer thickness of between 2 and 3 inches. In someembodiments, continuous insulation layer 406 seals the seams and/orinterfaces to provide an air leakage rate at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at adifferential pressure across the wall of 75 Pa. Continuous insulationlayer 406 may provide an R value of approximately 6 to 7 per inch oflayer thickness so as to provide an R value of at least 10 or 12 at alayer thickness of approximately 2 inches.

It should be realized that although embodiments described hereingenerally refer to wall surfaces, the spray insulation material andcontinuous insulation layer may similarly be applied to ceilingsurfaces, attics, roofs, and the like.

Method of Insulating Structures

FIG. 5 illustrates a method 500 for insulating a structure. At block510, a frame is provided. The frame may include a plurality of framemembers coupled together. At block 520, one or more sheathing panels maybe coupled to the frame members. The sheathing panels may be coupled sothat adjacent sheathing panels abut and directly contact each other atan interface or seam. The coupled sheathing panels may form a wallhaving a front surface and a rear surface.

At block 530, a spray insulation material may be applied (e.g., sprayed)to an exterior surface of the wall. The spray insulation material may bea foam insulation material, such as those described herein. The sprayinsulation material may form a substantially continuous insulation layeratop the front surface. The continuous insulation layer may have a layerthickness of at least 2 inches. The spray insulation material may beapplied so that the spray insulation material directly contacts theinterface or seams between adjacent sheathing panels to restrict passageof air between the adjacent panels to at or below a defined industrystandard (e.g., ABBA standard), which may be approximately 0.2 L/m2/s ata differential pressure across the wall of 75 Pa. The continuousinsulation layer may provide an R value of at least 10.

The spray insulation material may restrict or prevent passage of airthrough the interface or seams. The sheathing panels may abut one ormore features of the structure at an additional interface or seam, suchas a pipe, an edge of the building, a window, an aperture, a vent, aroof, and the like. The spray insulation material may be applied atopthe additional interface or seam such that the insulation materialdirectly contacts the additional interface or seam to restrict passageof air therethrough. The spray insulation material may penetrate adistance into the interface or seams or may penetrate through theinterface or seams to seal the interface or seams.

The spray insulation material may have adhesion promoters that enhancethe ability to adhere to multiple substrates. The sheathing panels mayinclude a fiberglass mat gypsum panel (e.g., DensGlass Flashing®), anoriented strand board, and the like. The insulation layer may be capableof providing an R value of at least 10 and an air passage restrictionrate of 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressure across the wall of 75 Paor less after exposure to repeated cycles of hot and cold temperatureand/or repeated cycles of varying differential pressure across the wall.The spray insulation material may include a zero ozone depletionpotential blowing agent. In some embodiments, the method may alsoinclude preparing the front surface prior to applying the sprayinsulation material to remove debris, oil, machine oil, dust, grease,excess mortar, oxidation, mill scale, and the like. The front surfacemay be prepared by brushing, scrubbing, scraping, grinding, wiping withsolvent, and the like to remove unwanted material, contaminants, and/ordebris.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method for providing an insulating air barrier toone or more structures penetrating through a buidling's wall, such asvents, pipes, roof edges, and the like. At block 610, a plurality ofsheathing panels is provided. At block 620, one or more of the sheathingpanels are coupled with a frame so that adjacent sheathing panels form awall of the structure having an exterior surface and an interiorsurface. One or more structures penetrate through the wall so that aninterface or seam exists between the wall and the structure penetratingthrough the wall. At block 630, a spray insulation material is appliedto the exterior surface of the wall so that the insulation materialforms an insulation layer atop the exterior surface and so that theinsulation material directly contacts at least one interface/seam torestrict air flow through the interface/seam (i.e., between the wall andthe structure penetrating therethrough). The applied insulation materialprovides a thermal resistance R value of at least 10.

Examples

A test wall having a frame and sheathing panels similar to thoseillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 was constructed and a spray foam insulatingmaterial, JM Corbond III, applied directly to an exterior surface andseams in a manner similar to that described herein. The seams in thewall between adjacent sheathing panels and/or other features had gaps orvoids of up to about ⅜ to ½ inch. The spray foam insulating material wasapplied at a layer thickness of approximately 2 inches, which wasapplied in 1 pass. The test wall and continuous insulation layer weresubjected to repeated test in conformance with ASTM E 2357, ASTM E 2178,and/or modified CAN/UL S711.1. The continuous insulation layer met orexceeded the air barrier standards defined by the Air BarrierAssociation of America (ABAA) section 07263.

I. Wind Pressure Testing

The test wall was wind pressure tested in accordance with industrystandard ASTM 2357. The wind pressure testing involved sustained airpressure loads, cyclical air pressure loads, and gust wind loads.Sustained load testing involved providing both a positive differentialpressure (i.e., a higher pressure applied to an interior face of thetest wall) and a negative differential pressure (i.e., a higher pressureapplied to an exterior face of the test wall). The exfiltration airflow, or the air flow through the wall from the interior face to theexterior face, was measured during the positive differential pressuretest. The infiltration air flow, or the air flow through the wall fromthe exterior face to the interior face, was measured during the negativedifferential pressure test.

During the positive differential pressure test, the interior face of thetest wall was subject to increasing pressure in increasing stages for aminimum period of 10 seconds at each stage, up to a maximum pressure of600 Pa (i.e., the differential pressure across the wall was 600 Pa).This pressure (i.e., 600 Pa) was maintained for 1 hour. During thenegative differential pressure test, the exterior face of the test wallwas subject to increasing pressure in increasing stages for a maximumperiod of 10 second at each stage, up to a maximum pressure of 600 Pa(i.e. the differential pressure across the wall was −600 Pa). Thispressure (i.e., 600 Pa) was likewise maintained for 1 hour.

Cyclical load testing involved subjecting the test wall to repeatedpositive differential pressure and negative differential pressure. Thetest wall was subject to approximately 2,000 cycles of pressure loading.The first 1000 cycles involved loading the test wall with a positivedifferential pressure from about 0 to about 800 Pa. The next 1000 cyclesinvolved loading the test wall with a negative differential pressurefrom about 0 to about −800 Pa. The pressure loading may cause the testwall to bow and flex similar to bowing and flexing that may occur inreal world applications.

Gust wind testing involved subjecting the test wall to gust windpressure of 1200 Pa followed by a gust wind pressure of −1200 Pa. Thesepressures were held for a minimum of 3 seconds and deformationmeasurements were taken after each gust pressure.

The tables below illustrate the results of subjecting a test wall to thewind pressure conditions described above. Table 1 below illustrates testresults obtained for a test wall having flashing tape applied to theseams and interfaces between sheathing panels and wall penetrations. Thepenetrations may be common building features penetrating through thewall, such as vents, pipes, apertures, windows and the like, whichcreate air leakage points.

TABLE 1 Data of air leakage rate for a wall assembly with penetrationsand priming/taping. Leakage Rate (L/m²/s) at 75 Pa Exfiltration Air FlowInfiltration Air Flow Before Structural Loading 0.0049 0.0012 AfterStructural Loading 0.0182 0.0186

Table 2 below illustrates test results obtained for a test wall wherethe spray insulation material was applied directly to the seams andinterfaces between sheathing panels and wall penetrations.

TABLE 2 Data for air leakage rate for a wall assembly with penetrationsand without priming/taping. Leakage Rate (L/m²/s) at 75 Pa ExfiltrationAir Flow Infiltration Air Flow Before Structural Loading 0.0025 0.0040After Structural Loading 0.0028 0.0039

As shown in a comparison of Table 1 and Table 2, the application of thespray foam insulation material directly to the exterior wall surface anddirectly to the seams or interfaces of the sheathing panels and/orpenetrations provided a surprisingly superior air leakage performancefor both exfiltration and infiltration air flows. The wall assembly wasanalyzed and the leakage was found to be due to the additional failurepoints resulting from the use of flashing tapes and/or primers. Similarfailures may likewise be attributed to incorrect or insufficientapplication of the flashing tape and/or primer. This decreasedperformance may be common when flashing tape and/or primer is applied tofeatures (e.g., vents, pipes, apertures, and the like) penetratingthrough the wall or applied adjacent such features. Table 2 alsoprovides that the tested surfaces having spray foam insulation directlyapplied to the exterior surface met or exceeded industry air barrierstandards as defined by ASTM E 2357—i.e., the tested wall had an airleakage rate of less than 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressure acrossthe wall of approximately 75 Pascal (Pa).

II. Thermal Load Testing

The test wall corresponding to Table 2 (i.e., the test wall where thespray insulation material was applied directly to the seams andinterfaces) was also subject to repeated cycles of thermal loading(i.e., hot and cold temperatures) subsequent to the gust wind testing.The thermal load test was performed following a modified thermalconditioning cycle using CAN/ULC-S711.1-05, A6.2-6 as a guide. The testwall was exposed to 24 environmental cycles as outlined in Table 3below.

TABLE 3 Thermal loading applied to the wall assembly. Weather SideInterior Side Environmental Conditioning Duration Room Side Temperature66 ± 3° C. 30 ± 2 Minutes Maintained at: (Temperature Hold) 24 ± 2 C.,Temperature Cooled to −20 ± 2° C. 90 ± 2 Minutes 50% ± 10% RH(Transition A) Temperature −20 ± 2° C. 30 ± 2 Minutes (Temperature Hold)Rapid Heating to 66 ± 3° C. 30 ± 2 Minutes (Transition B)

Upon completion of the environmental cycles, the extraneous and airleakage measurements were conducted again to quantify the testspecimen's durability performance. The results of the thermal load testare provided in Table 4 below.

TABLE 4 Results of thermal load testing applied to wall assembly afterwind gust testing. Leakage Rate (L/m²/s) at 75 Pa Exfiltration Air FlowInfiltration Air Flow Before Thermal Loading 0.0074 0.0110 After ThermalLoading 0.0081 0.0149

Thermal loading of test walls causes the wall structures andpenetrations to expand and contract, often at different rates and bydifferent amounts, which stresses air barrier materials applied to thewall. Table 4 shows that after the thermal loading, the wall maintainedan air leakage rate of less than 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressureof 75 Pa. The wall may also provide an insulation R value of 5 orgreater, or in some embodiments, 10 or greater.

III. Thermal & Pressure Load Testing

The test wall corresponding to Tables 2 & 3 (i.e., the test wall wherethe spray insulation material was applied directly to the seams andinterfaces) was then subjected to repeated cycles of both thermal andpressure loading subsequent to the thermal load testing. The test wallwas exposed to 24 environmental cycles as outlined in Table 5 below.

TABLE 5 Thermal & pressure loading applied to the wall assembly. WeatherSide Interior Side Environmental Conditioning Duration Room SideTemperature 66 ± 3° C. 15 ± 1 Minutes Maintained at: (TemperatureHold) - 1000 Pa 24 ± 2 C. Pressure Positive 50% ± 10% RH Temperature 66± 3° C. 15 ± 1 Minutes (Temperature Hold) - 1000 Pa Pressure NegativeTemperature Cooled to −20 ± 2° C. 90 ± 2 Minutes (Transition A)Temperature −20 ± 2° C. 15 ± 1 Minutes (Temperature Hold) - 1000 PaPressure Positive Temperature −20 ± 2° C. 15 ± 1 Minutes (TemperatureHold) - 1000 Pa Pressure Negative Rapid Heating to 66 ± 3° C. 30 ± 2Minutes (Transition B)

Upon completion of the environmental cycles (i.e., thermal and pressureloading), the air leakage measurements were conducted to quantify thetest specimen's durability performance. The results are provided inTable 6 below.

TABLE 6 Results of thermal and pressure load testing applied to wallassembly after thermal load testing. Leakage Rate (L/m²/s) at 75 PaExfiltration Air Flow Infiltration Air Flow Before Loading 0.0081 0.0149After Loading 0.0194 0.0257

Table 6 shows that after pressure loading, thermal loading, andsubsequently combined thermal and pressure loading, the test wallmaintained an air leakage rate of substantially less than the ABBAstandard of 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressure of 75 Pa. The wall mayalso continue to provide an insulation R value of 5 or greater, or insome embodiments, 10 or greater. Thus, after repeated usage, thecontinuous insulation layer described herein provides sufficientinsulating and air barrier characteristics. Or, put another way, thecontinuous insulation layer described herein is able to meet or exceedindustry insulating and air barrier standards even after prolonged useand exposure to extreme environmental conditions—i.e., the continuousinsulation layer is sufficiently durable to meet or exceed the ASTM E2357 and ABBA standards after a prolonged period of time.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elementshave not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention. Accordingly, the above description should not betaken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and the lowerlimits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller rangebetween any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and anyother stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed.The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently beincluded or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neitheror both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassedwithin the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in thestated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits,ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are alsoincluded.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes aplurality of such processes and reference to “the device” includesreference to one or more devices and equivalents thereof know to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and“includes” when used in this specification and in the following claimsare intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers,components, steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition ofone or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, orgroups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for insulating a structure, the methodcomprising: providing a frame that comprises a plurality of framemembers coupled together; coupling sheathing panels to the frame memberssuch that adjacent sheathing panels abut and directly contact each otherat an interface to form a wall having a front surface and a rearsurface, wherein a portion of the interface comprises a gap or void ofabout ¼ inch; and applying a spray insulation material to the frontsurface of the wall such that the insulation material forms asubstantially continuous insulation layer atop the front surface andsuch that the insulation material directly contacts the interfacebetween adjacent sheathing panels to restrict passage of air between theadjacent panels to at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at a differential pressureacross the wall of 75 Pa; wherein the insulation layer provides an Rvalue of at least
 5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion ofthe interface comprises a gap or void of about ⅜ inch, and wherein thespray insulation material seals the gap or void to restrict passage ofair therethrough.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation layerprovides an R value of at least
 10. 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe spray insulation material restricts passage of air through theinterface.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of thesheathing panels abut a feature of the structure at an additionalinterface, and where in the spray insulation material is applied atopthe additional interface such that the spray insulation materialdirectly contacts the additional interface to restrict passage of airtherethrough.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the building featurecomprises one or more features selected from the group consisting of: apipe; a structural edge; a window; an aperture; a vent; a roof; a duct;and electrical/wiring.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sprayinsulation material penetrates into the interface.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the spray insulation penetrates through the interfacefrom the front surface to the rear surface.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the insulation layer seals the interface to restrict passage ofair therethrough.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulationlayer has a layer thickness of at least 2 inches.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the spray insulation material comprises a foaminsulation material.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprisingpreparing the front surface prior to applying the spray insulationmaterial to minimize one or more selected from the group consisting of;debris; oil; machine oil; grease; mortar; oxidation; mill scale; anddust.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sheathingpanels comprises a fiberglass mat gypsum panel.
 14. The method of claim1, wherein at least one of the sheathing panels comprises an orientedstrand board.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of thesheathing panels comprises a foam board.
 16. The method of claim 1,wherein the insulation layer is capable of providing said R value andsaid air passage restriction after exposure to repeated cycles of hotand cold temperature.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the sprayinsulation material comprises a zero ozone depletion potential blowingagent.
 18. A method for providing an insulating air barrier assembly toan exterior surface of a structure comprising: providing a plurality ofsheathing panels; coupling the sheathing panels with a frame, whereinadjacent sheathing panels abut at a seam, and wherein the coupledsheathing panels form a wall of the structure having an exterior surfaceand an interior surface; and applying a spray insulation material to theexterior surface of the wall such that the insulation material forms aninsulation layer atop the exterior surface and such that the insulationmaterial directly contacts at least one seam to restrict air flowbetween adjacent sheathing panels; wherein the applied insulationmaterial provides a thermal resistance R value of at least
 5. 19. Astructure having an insulated exterior surface, the structurecomprising: a frame comprising a plurality of frame members coupledtogether; a plurality of sheathing panels coupled to the frame memberssuch that adjacent sheathing panels abut and directly contact each otherat an interface to form a wall having a front surface and a rearsurface; and a substantially continuous insulation layer atop the frontsurface, wherein the insulation layer comprises a spray insulationmaterial, and wherein the insulation layer directly contacts at leastone interface between adjacent sheathing panels to restrict passage ofair between the adjacent sheathing panels to at or below 0.2 L/m2/s at adifferential pressure of 75 Pa across the wall; wherein the insulationlayer provides an insulating R value of at least
 5. 20. The structure ofclaim 19, further comprising an exterior material positioned atop theinsulation layer, wherein the exterior material comprises one or moreselected from the group consisting of: brick; siding; stucco; wood;exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS); and exterior cladding. 21.The structure of claim 19, wherein the insulation layer has a layerthickness of at least 2 inches.
 22. The structure of claim 19, whereinthe interface comprises a gap or void of about ⅜ inch, and wherein thespray insulation material seals the gap or void to restrict passage ofair therethrough.
 23. A method for insulating a structure, the methodcomprising: providing a frame that comprises a plurality of framemembers coupled together; coupling sheathing panels to the frame membersto form a wall having a front surface and a rear surface, the wallhaving one or more structures penetrating through the wall; and applyinga spray insulation material to the front surface of the wall such thatthe insulation material forms a substantially continuous insulationlayer atop the front surface and such that the insulation materialdirectly contacts an interface between the one or more structures andthe wall to restrict passage of air between the adjacent panels to at orbelow 0.2 L/m² is at a differential pressure across the wall of 75 Pa;wherein the insulation layer provides an R value of at least 5.